First, if this doesn't belong here, do let me know and I'll move it. I'm still listening through things to be sure and not cross lines.

I come here with a question. Or a few actually, but one primarily. I recently found a cosplay costume maker, noted as QQCosplay. They tell me they are quite able to not only manufacture the costume I desire, they can further do the customisations and tweaks I wish for. Thing is this:

1. I can't sew (Believe me, teaching a blind student to sew by hand is very difficult).
2. Is QQCosplay reputably good for producing their work well and in general, being a good facility to go to if you indeed cannot produce your own costumes?

surrel

09-14-2012, 09:44 PM

I've never heard of them so I can't say but I do order a lot of cosplay commissions since I cannot sew either :( but it is on my list of things to learn. I just don't know if I have the time for it and if it's something where I can start making simply but good looking cosplays in months.

Anynow, I normally always check ebay first to see if they 1) have the cosplay I want and 2) if they have it in a good quality. I generally get my stuff from ebay so I know a couple sellers where I can always expect to have decent work done. If I need a cosplay commissioned that 's not currently on ebay, I always message them first and I have not had a time where I was told no. I've only needed to make small alterations to the cosplays I received and 90% of it is generally what I'm looking for. It's not perfect but that's what you kinda have to expect if you're not making it yourself.

My friends have had experience with places such as Hello Cosplay and Cosplay House and they've had good experiences with them and no problems. The cosplays that they've got were all made very well and only needed minor alterations.

BlueSteelRanger

09-14-2012, 09:59 PM

You too? May I be curious and ask what from? (Optic nerve hypoplasia in my case).

eBay...Ehhh, I didn't like them too much -- I couldn't navigate them to save my life. I'll check the other two out for sure.

CapsuleCorp

09-14-2012, 10:38 PM

If you want to know about the reputation or get reviews for any cosplay shop or commissioner, there is a Reviews subforum further down in the forum list. Check it out. It's very well organized.

That said, if you really cannot sew a stitch for whatever reason and don't want to take the chance at having to do ANY "tweaks" or "fixes" if your commission doesn't turn out right, don't use a large company. Many of them are overseas and while they will tell you anything you want to hear, they don't actually have a person dedicated to perfectly customizing your costume. They have a shop full of people working off more simplified patterns to mass-produce as much as they can before making any customized options. If you want the most control over your commission, you're better off negotiating with and hiring a commissioner who is in the same country of origin as yourself (for ease of shipping and customs/tax rates, as well as legal matters should a problem arise). Make that, a skilled private commissioner who will take all of your design sketches and ideas, all of your special tweaks, every last tiny detail you want included, and agree with you 100% on exactly what they're going to make and how they're going to make it even before you say "yes." They can discuss methods with you, they can discuss materials, and come to agreements or compromises if what you want isn't physically possible or may be expensive. They will also be up-front about costs and be willing to REPAIR OR REPLACE your costume if it doesn't turn out exactly like you want.

Do your research. There are a LOT of people offering commissions, some more skilled than others. Talk to them, send them emails, find out where they stand on custom designs and whether they know what they're talking about when they open their mouths. Be confident that your commissioner is going to actually produce the costume you're asking for and not something you're going to have to get fixed or altered by someone else for an additional cost. Every shop (and commissioner) will tell you they can do anything you ask for; you want to feel confident that they really mean it, that they know their stuff and are being honest with you instead of just attempting to get your money.

And that's why we have the Commissioner Reviews forum. Scroll down and check it out. You'll probably find reviews for not only the companies but also the independent commissioners, and lots of stories from people who might have had trouble with their commissions. You want to find someone who is agreeable and easy when it comes to fixing problems as much as you want someone who doesn't cause problems in the first place. Any commissioner who blames you for bad instructions or wrong measurements or doesn't stay in touch to help you if you really don't understand sewing and are not sure how to take measurements is probably not the kind you want to go with.

BlueSteelRanger

09-15-2012, 12:56 AM

Hmm.

First, sorry a reply took a bit -- offline junk and all that. I'll definitely have a listen to that forum since I admit once more, I am VERY new to all of this.

I am thankful however, that what I'd like done in the first place at least doesn't seem to be extensively huge or labour-intensive. ::goes to have a listen to that forum you mentioned::

NiGHTmaren

09-15-2012, 10:13 PM

I've moved the thread. :) Might be able to draw the attention of those who have gotten a commission there a lot quicker.

Phorni

09-16-2012, 12:22 AM

qqcosplay isn't that good. I bought two outfits the zippers scratched my hands a lot.
The other isn't that accurate and looked cheap.

Faye_Tatsu

09-24-2012, 03:16 PM

This seems like a perfect place to ask this but if not please let me know or move it. I am looking for a good site with reputable stature and commission of cosplays ability. In short I am looking for a costume maker, I have a friend who desires a particular cosplay. I have not found the costume on any site (costume shops or cosplay sites) So I am looking into how much it would take to have this made and shipped should that be the case. I would like to have it by Christmas or Early to Mid may of 2013?

If you need to know the cosplay is " Rogue from x-men the Legacy" costume.
http://http://www.google.com/imgres?start=359&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Lfv&tbo=d&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&biw=1032&bih=570&tbm=isch&tbnid=GAI2rhSWJS8eFM:&imgrefurl=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/05/18/the-greatest-rogue-stories-ever-told/&docid=MlMZlK8SNGyxuM&imgurl=http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/roguegreatest7.jpg&w=400&h=612&ei=Vr9gUOeFEobDyQHhjoDYCg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=389&sig=118309422249807107215&page=11&tbnh=122&tbnw=80&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:29,s:359,i:325&tx=48&ty=42

Celcia

10-08-2012, 11:15 PM

I'm going to add to the overseas commissioners bit... I just wouldn't do it if I were you. Take the website fan+friend for example (which is based in China). I knew a girl who went to them to have a custom design made since she couldn't sew. They did make the costume she designed but they also kept her design and started mass producing it. That's shady business practices and you'll want to avoid companies like that. As CapsuleCorp said: you're better off searching the commissioner review forum for someone reputable so you don't get taken to the cleaners.

Funhouse

10-21-2012, 01:25 AM

I've used cosp lay f u a few times myself. Once for a Neptune costume and again for Jupiter. They listened to every detail I wanted for Jupiter to make it look like her Classic/R/S fuku right down to the smaller bow and adding stripes to the collar. I really like them but I never commissioned a costume they didn't already have up from them. The review thread in this forum might be a good place to start for commissioners. I'm having a bit of trouble myself finding one I can trust. :/